Ways to remember the SPELLING and MEANING of words

The following are some strategies to help us: 1) Looking at the Prefix and Suffix Prefix = attachment to front of word Suffix = attachment to back of word Example: Antisocial Anti (=against), social (=humans existing together)
By combining the prefix (anti) and the suffix (social), we can get an idea of what the word antisocial means. An antisocial can refer to a person causing harm to other people in a society.

2)

Looking at a simpler word form Example: Capability

Comes from the word capable.

Crystallise
Comes from the word crystal (a noun), which is a clear transparent rock used to make jewellery. Crystallise (a verb) means that someones thoughts or opinions is made clear (Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary, 2nd edn.)

3)

Using a dictionary with simpler meanings Example: Egregious

=Conspicuously bad (Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edn.) =extremely bad (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 6th edn.) conspicuously bad is a more accurate meaning than extremely bad. However, extremely bad is easier to understand.

(Advantage of junior dictionaries meanings easier to understand) (Disadvantage of junior dictionaries less words and meanings given) 4) Finding out how the word can be used Example: Debilitating
a debilitating disease/ The troops were severely debilitated by hunger and disease./ She found the heat debilitating. (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 6th edn.)

5)

Looking at the original language the word came from Example: Mortify
mortificre (in Latin) means put to death (Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged, 2003). So if we say he mortified his appetite, it means he controlled his appetite (=he did not overeat). In modern usage, however, to mortify someone means to embarrass someone.

To become good in English, we need to look at: DICTIONARIES

2012 Joelson Tang

6)

Linking one meaning with other meanings Example: Obliterate

(1) to remove all sign or something, either by destroying it or by covering it so that it cannot be seen. (2) to make an idea or feeling disappear completely. (Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary, 2nd edn.)

See how the first and second meaning are in a way similar? 7) Associating with a story Example: Repudiate
Repudiate means to reject an idea. Sounds like rap-puke-date. Someone goes to the disco to rap and pukes (because he raps too much). After he has puked (vomited), he decides to go on a date with another disco-goer. This kind of actions do not sound very correct, so we reject doing all this.

8)

Comparing with Synonyms and Antonyms (using a Thesaurus) Synonyms= words with similar meanings Antonyms= words with opposite meanings Example: Malicious
Synonyms hostile, jealous, harmful, full of hate (Moby Thesaurus II, 1 st edn.) Antonyms tolerant, generous (Concise English Synonym and Antonym Dictionary, 2nd edn.)

9)

Taking note of small differences in spelling Example: Compliment and Complement

These words have similar spellings but completely different meanings. If you compliment someone, you say something very nice to them: She complimented me on my English. If one thing complements another, the two things work or look better because they are together: The different flavours complement each other perfectly. (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 6th edn.)

10) Look at the spelling and meaning often Example: Conspicuous

To make remembering the spelling easier, we break the word up into cons-pi-cuous (according to pronunciation) and remember the word in parts. We should record unfamiliar words in a notebook and construct our own sentences using those words. By looking into the notebook as often as possible, the word and its meaning will be in our long-term memory.

To become good in English, we need to look at: DICTIONARIES

2012 Joelson Tang